Two-wheeled vehicles such as motorbikes, scooters and bicycles are stolen at twice the rate of automobiles, and less than half of those stolen are recovered. Therefore, deterring and preventing theft is an ongoing concern for motorbike owners.
The most commonly recommended theft deterrent and prevention method is to lock the bike to a stationary, secure object that cannot be easily dismantled or moved. Usually, a chain or cable is threaded through a wheel or a chain loop of the motorbike and around a fixed or difficult-to-move object, such as a tree, a signpost, an in-ground anchor, or a light pole, and the ends of the chain or cable are locked together. Such an arrangement is also conveniently moved from one motorbike to another, which is an advantage if, for example, one rides more than one motorbike.
However, if there is no suitable object available to which the chain or cable can be affixed, such a method is for less effective. Furthermore, the weight and bulk that makes a cable or chain sturdy enough to withstand tampering may also make the cable or chain awkward to transport. And threading a chain or cable to a motorbike that is hot and dusty from recent use is simply inconvenient and uncomfortable.
Other locks intended to prevent or deter the theft of motor bikes are also known.
For example, a disc brake lock, a small, portable lock that fits on the disc of the brake of a motorbike, is more quickly engaged and disengaged than a chain or cable lock. However, users have two complaints regarding disc brake locks. Firstly, as a disc brake lock is small and unobtrusive and its location on the wheel is not obvious, it is easy for the user to forget that the disc brake lock is engaged. Secondly, and for the same reasons, a disc brake lock does not provide a clearly visible deterrent to would-be thieves.
There are also locks that may be integrated into one of the handlebar mounted controls, for holding the control in a position that prevents the operation of the motorbike. For example, JP2005349882 discloses a device installed on the clutch lever assembly for locking a clutch lever against the handlebar. Again, the location and size of this type of lock device may not provide a clearly visible deterrent to would-be thieves. Furthermore, the integrated nature of such devices makes their use with more than one motorbike impractical, and may even preclude their use with another motorbike.
Another group of locks is handlebar-mounted locks, which have an upper and a lower piece that join together to clasp the brake or clutch lever and the corresponding handlebar grip. Handlebar-mounted locks have a general configuration to hold a lever in a position that renders a motorbike inoperable, and can be easily mounted on a motorbike. However, in order to ensure a snug and secure fit, further alterations are often required to adapt an individual handlebar-mounted lock to a specific motorbike. Alterations such as adhering foam segments to the inner surface of the lock are often permanent; therefore, a specific handlebar-mounted lock becomes tailored for use with only a specific motorbike. Furthermore, a handlebar-mounted lock may be of an attention grabbing color so the user is unlikely to forget its presence; however, the small size of such devices is not likely to put off a would-be thief, nor does it inspire confidence in the user that the motorbike is well protected.